…the Lord is very compassionate and merciful (James 5:11 HCB).

I used the back of the open door to take off my boots to support me before coming into the house. My sister didn’t know my hand was there and she slammed the door shut. I screamed in agony. My hand throbbed with every heartbeat.

My grandparents were living with us at the time and my mother was on an errand, so Grandma was in charge. When she came to help me, my poor fingers were dented and red with blood, all I wanted was my mama. Grandma certainly had compassion and wanted to help me, but she wasn’t the same as Mama.

Often in our lives we have hurts. Like me at six years old, my fingers accidentally smashed in a door. Sometimes the hurt is heartache. Perhaps your spouse said something unkind to you, or someone in the office gossiped about you when it wasn’t true. The pain of a child rejecting the truths of the Bible you’d carefully taught them. The death of a loved one. 

When Jesus was on earth two thousand years ago, he showed compassion many times. It says in Matthew, When He saw the crowd, He felt compassion for them, because they were weary and worn out, like sheep without a shepherd (9:36). Other passages tell how he healed every disease and sickness among the people. Huge crowds followed Him. Another passage in Matthew says, those with various diseases and intense pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralytics. And He healed them (Matthew 4). 

When I was suffering the intense pain of my smashed fingers, I only wanted the compassion of my mother—even though my grandmother wanted to help—I needed my mother.

So many times, we rock ourselves in misery, and pain, when if we would only remember that Jesus does care about our aches, both physical and mental and has compassion on us–more than our earthly mothers ever could. I can say I’ve discovered that comfort many times. 

“Lord, I read about Your compassion and am filled with awe. You understand and are merciful. You love me more than anyone else does. I want to give my hurts whether they are physical—big things like cancer, but also small things, like a pinched finger. Heart hurts as when destructive words are flung at me, worse yet, when grief overwhelms me.

Thank You for Your compassion and love. In Your compassionate name Jesus, Amen.”